Graduates honor Wagener-Salley teacher who was killed by utility pole

WAGENER, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - On Friday, students graduating from Wagener-Salley High School are honoring one of their teachers who died in an accident.

Jeunelle Robinson was struck in the head and killed by a rotting 70-year-old utility pole on Aug. 16, 2023.

Authorities say a truck snagged the line, pulling it until it broke the poles and launched one into the air, striking Robinson. She was walking south on Main Street during her lunch break when it happened.

Last August, Robinson’s family received $30 million through a wrongful-death settlement. The 113-page lawsuit alleges the condition of the poles and power lines in Wagener played a large part in her death.

Robinson was a social studies teacher at Wagener-Salley High, and while she didn’t have any kids of her own, she loved every student like they were hers.

It’s a class many of her students looked forward to, not because of the subject, but because of Ms. Robinson.

On Thursday, the family hosted a luncheon at The Little Bake Shoppe and Deli — Robinson’s favorite spot and the last place she was before she died — to honor her former students.

Andrea Julian, Robinson’s mom, says even though it was Jeunelle’s last stop, she wants it to be the first stop for her students as they walk into their future.

“These kids were like her children,” said Julian. “So, because of that, we nicknamed them our grand class. Since we didn’t have grandchildren from her, they were our grandchildren, they were part of her life, and they were her life. So we just want to give them something special.”

Inside the little bake shoppe in Wagener, there was a family reunion, but they weren’t related by blood.

“We nicknamed them our grand class since we didn’t have grandchildren from her. They were our grandchildren. It’s kind of like a little family within our family,” said Robinson.

The only person missing is the one responsible for bringing them together.

She started the foundation of their education. And now they have finished, they stayed on the course, they finished the course. Now, even though she’s not here, her legacy still lives on through them,” said Cheyeene Mitchell, Jeunelle’s godmother.

Robinson taught more than just history lessons.

“She had two signs that were displayed in her class that very thing - ‘be kind’ in one area and in another area it said, ‘be you,’” said Julian.  “That was her subtle way of just making them feel comfortable and comfortable with who they were and who they are.”

Now, her students will always have that reminder to carry with them.

“They can look back and say, I got my start from this one particular teacher that was funny, that was just full of energy. And now I can say that I took a little special part of my heart just for her, so they can go on to the next level saying that I got this,” said Mitchell.

Before going their separate ways, they ed her for the advice she gave.

“That lives through us, just to be kind and be you,” said Zanyah Tyler, student.

Students have a nickname that they Ms. Robinson by.

“We was in class one day and she was telling us her story, how she really loved owls. And one day we just said, ‘Miss Hoot, Miss Hoot.’ We all just bust out laughing. And then from that day on, we just called her ‘Miss Hoot,’” said Tyler.

Like her namesake – she made her own feel safe.

“She was a teacher, but she was at the same time, It was one of the classes I looked forward to. It was like a gym class, but history. She made history fun for me,” said Nathan Delgado, student.

Ms. Robinson’s heart lived in her classroom. And now she lives in their hearts.

" We feel like her spirit’s here, we know where it is. She’s with Christ, but her spirit is also here in this town,” said Donovan and Andrea Julian, Robinson’s parents.

Eighteen of Robinson’s students are graduating on Friday and will walk across the stage with a piece of Miss Robinson, or “Miss Hoot”, as her students called her. She loved Harry Potter and owls, so they gave her that nickname.

Robinson’s family gave the students a medal with an owl on it, with Jenuelle’s name on it, and “be kind, be you”, which is what she always told her students.

The family also gave the students $250 each from the Jeunelle Robinson Hope Fund.

The graduation ceremony took place at the USC Aiken Convocation Center at noon.

To view the livestream and access materials, visitwww.asd.net/graduation

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